Practical guide for foreign post-doc fellows

In this page you will find some help to comply with the italian rules concerning your arrival and residence in Italy.
This is especially designed for "assegnisti" or "post-doc" holding a contract, but many of the rules apply to Ph.D. students or Laurea Magistrale or Triennale students.

You must have a tutor or a friend or someone especially appointed by the administration ready to help you in Bologna in order to succeed in matching all of the requirements of the Italian Government.

From now on we shall refer to this person as "tutor".

Many documents require a MARCA DA BOLLO that currently costs 14.62 euros. Make sure you reimburse your tutor.

The main documents you need to legally enter and work in Italy are the following:

CODICE FISCALE

CONVENZIONE DI ACCOGLIENZA

NULLA OSTA

VISTO DI INGRESSO

PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO

They have to be obtained in this order and here is the procedures you need to go through.

Before you enter Italy:

you must obtain your CODICE FISCALE. The easiest way to do this is that your tutor goes to an "Agenzia delle entrate" with a copy of your passport and all of your relevant data, together with the following form signed by you (DELEGA). Alternatively you may ask to the nearest italian consulate to issue you one.

you must have the CONVENZIONE DI ACCOGLIENZA. This is given to you by the administrative office of the Math. Dept. and it is the easiest of all the documents to obtain. It certifies that the Math. Dept. is going to establish a working relation with you.

you must obtain a NULLA OSTA. This is done in Bologna, but your tutor must send it to you via some express or certified mail. In order to obtain the Nulla Osta it is necessary to have the Convenzione di accoglienza. The Nulla Osta can be obtained in the ACLI office (but also in other places). It is better to schedule and appointment. Once your tutor has applied at the ACLI office, the Nulla Osta will be ready to be picked up at the Questura of Bologna. The ACLI office is a private organization that serves the Universityof Bologna in dealing with the Questura, Sportello Unico per l'immigrazione (via degli Agresti 5) a place where you go only if you have to.

you should sign your contract BEFORE entering Italy. Technically you could enter few days in advance and then sign your contract but it is better to sign it ahead, since it is proof you will be legally working in Italy. Your tutor should send the contract to you and then after you sign it you send it back with certified mail.

you have to bring the contract, the nulla osta and the convenzione di accoglienza to your nearest italian consulate where they prepare the VISTO DI INGRESSO so that you can enter legally Italy for work.

After you enter Italy:

WITHIN 48 HOURS: the person hosting you must send to the questura the Dichiarazione di ospitalita' or the Cessione di fabbricato depending whether he/she is hosting you for free or renting you the place. This is the law, this person is in charge of it, but it would be a good idea to have your tutor making sure that this is done. You are not held responsible if this does not happen, but your papers may not get through.

WITHIN 8 DAYS YOU MUST:- obtain the CERTIFICATO DI IDONEITA' ABITATIVA. This is to certify that the place where you are staying is suitable for living. This is not simple to get for the person hosting you. In fact it would be a good idea if your tutor hosts you and obtains such a certificate (he/she may host you for a few days only). Unless this person has ties with you it is unlikely he/she would go through the hassle of getting such a certificate.- obtain a photocopy of a personal identification document (like passport, driving license or similar) of the person hosting you.- go to the questura office, sportello unico per l'immigrazione in Bologna (via degli agresti 5) together with your tutor and a signed paper from the director of the department (delega). Bring there ALL OF THE ABOVE DOCUMENTS TOGETHER WITH A PHOTOCOPY OF THEM. bring also

1) Marca da bollo 14.62 euros (bring always such a thing with you at all times when dealing with italian beaurocracy)

2) A copy of your passport, all pages even the blank ones (bring always such a thing with you at all times when dealing with italian beurocracy)

3) One picture of yourself.

Once this is done, they will give you an envelope and you should go to a post office having the "sportello amico" to send what they gave you. They will also set up an appointment to give you the PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO. This is the most important document you have and essentially it is the one telling you are legally living in Italy and working there. Make sure you always have a copy of your permesso di soggiorno at all times with you or the receipt of the request you made at the questura. You cannot leave Italy before you obtain the permesso di soggiorno.